Historic Cryptid Headline: December 27, 1900 - Teamsters See Sea Lion

Racine Journal
December 27, 1900

“Teamsters See Sea Lion”
The Animal Was Disporting Itself In Lake Michigan About North Point. Men Armed With Pick Axes And Clubs Went Back But Monster Was Gone.

Racine, WI- Excitement ran high in the vicinity at North Point late yesterday afternoon. Rene Miller, Peter Reiplinger and a teamster named George, employees of the Reichert Construction company, were out with teams and wagons getting sand. George was quite a ways behind and had just driven down the hill as what is known as the ravine. Presently Miller and Reiplinger looked back and were startled to see the team coming on a mad gallop with the teamster wailing them with the whip and yelling at the top of his voice. He came up and almost out of breath and told of an immense fish that he saw in shallow water on the shore.

It was as long as the wagon and horses together and its tail was flapping and churning the water at a fearful rate, throwing spray into the air many feet. Miller and Reiplinger armed themselves with pickaxes and the teamster got a big club and piloted the men back to to the place where he saw the fish, but the monster had got away into the deep water and no sign of it could be found. Today people have been out looking around to get a glimpse of the sea monster.

Two or three years ago it was reported that a sea monster was swimming around in this vicinity and tugs were sent out to chase and capture the creature, but it was not accomplished and it was supposed that the big serpent had sought quarters up around the north part of the lake. Mr. Miller, one of the men who went after the fish yesterday, says the according to the story told by the teamster, it was an unusually large serpent and would measure thirty feet. From the manner of the man and the way in which he told of the actions of the stranded serpent it must have been very large and of fearful strength, for the water flowed into the air in great volumes.

Where George said he saw the fish or serpent there is a sand bar, and the water is only two feet deep, but just outside it is ten feet deep and it is supposed the monster worked off this deep hole.

“Historic Cryptid Headlines” showcases actual articles involving cryptids that were published within United States newspapers back in the 1800’s-1900’s. The articles posted here are written exactly as they appeared during their original publishing date.

-The Pine Barrens Institute

---